Much Ado About Nothing Summary

Improved Essays
Show More
A summary of
Much Ado about Nothing
Much Ado about Nothing is a comedy play written by the famous author, William Shakespeare. The play is set in Messina about 1500 A.D.
In the start of the play, Don Pedro of Aragon and his noblemen visit their good friend Leonato in Messina after having crushed an riot led by Don John, the prince’s half-brother. With him is the misogynistic and witty Bendick, the former flame of Leonato’s sharped-tonged and fierce niece Beatrice. The former couple are both very stubborn and proud. And they claim they hate everything about love and marriage. Also present are Bendick’s sworn brother, Claudio, and Don John, who apparently reconciled with his brother.
Before Claudio went to war, he thought fondly of Leonato’s lovely and gentle daughter, Hero. At a party after heard about his young friend’s feelings towards Hero, Don Pedro arranges the match. Don John tries to foil the match, but he fails. …show more content…
Don Pedro and the others stage various conversations with either Beatrice or Benedick hiding in the background, and listening to them saying how one of them cannot live without the other. Each of them believing the story they hear about the other.
In the midst of this scheming, Don John finds a way to stop the marriage between Claudio and Hero. The night before the wedding, Don John shows Don Pedro and Cloudio what they believe to be Hero and Borachio having an affair. But it is in fact Hero’s gentlewoman Margaret and Borachio they

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Much Ado About Nothing Deception Analysis
    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Much Ado About Nothing Deception Analysis

    In Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing, the two most famous scenes are probably the two gulling scenes. Gulling, means to deceive, the two gulling scenes in Shakespeare play, therefore, are the two deception scenes. Now why are these scenes famous, because each deception is different, the only thing they have in common are that both involve deception. In the first gulling scene (Act 2 Scene 3) Don Pedro has created a scheme to have the characters Benedick and Beatrice fall in love.…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Who Is Benedick In Much Ado About Nothing
    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Who Is Benedick In Much Ado About Nothing

    He readily agrees to reciprocate his love for her and hence wants to mend his ‘detractions’. He doesn’t leave any stone unturned in praising Beatrice and her qualities, which in the past he had taunted at. When Hero’s wedding is called off due to Claudio’s false accusation, it is Benedick who first doubts Don John to be the master of this whole conspiracy. He shows his fidelity by promising Leonato to hide the truth of Hero’s false death. It is indeed very touching to see Benedick consoling the hurt Beatrice and him believing that ‘her cousin was falsely accused’.…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    The Representation Of Claudio In Shakespeare's Nothing By William Shakespeare
    • 1475 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Representation Of Claudio In Shakespeare's Nothing By William Shakespeare

    This postpones the wedding and creates confusion among every one around. Claudio shows no sense of trust in Hero and neither does her father Leonato. Right away he says that the only forgiveness for such a…

    • 1475 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Lying In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lying In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

    It’s obvious that, Don Pedro made a good impact on Hero and Claudio’s lives by setting them to up together. After, Don John hears of Claudio’s approaching marriage he instantly thought about sabotaging it. He then pays Borachio to be in Hero’s room with Margaret to make seem like she's Hero. During this, Don John had the prince and Claudio were watching across the street. Don John managed to make Claudio expose Hero for her wrongs during their wedding the upcoming day to all eyes.…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Much Ado About Nothing Act 1 Analysis
    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Much Ado About Nothing Act 1 Analysis

    For our scene performance, Aeran, Erin, and I chose to do the second half of Scene 1 in Act 1 of Much Ado About Nothing. This scene was between Claudio, (Aeran) Benedick, (Erin) and the Prince (me). Our scene began with Claudio asking Benedick if he noticed Hero, the King’s daughter, and what he thought of her. Benedick replied that he did not notice her much, and that while she isn’t ugly, she also isn’t that special to look at either. This conversation sets up the rest of the scene, while also giving the audience a glimpse of the Claudio and Benedick’s characters.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Deception In Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare
    • 1895 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Deception In Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare

    Don John has the audacity to lie right to his face about Hero. Don John’s steadfastness creates a man who is dangerous to Claudio and Hero, especially because they are not aware of his evil schemes. After Don John’s successful attempt to alter Claudio’s beliefs about the latter, he finally lets out all of his internal tensions about Hero and his love life during the wedding: “Farewell, / Thou pure impiety and impious purity. /…

    • 1895 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Contrasting Relationships And Characters In 'Much Ado About Nothing'
    • 1328 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Contrasting Relationships And Characters In 'Much Ado About Nothing'

    Do The Contrasting Relationships and Characters in “Much Ado About Nothing” Affect The Play? Throughout “Much Ado About Nothing” we are introduced to various different relationships. Even the smaller of characters create an impact on the play (such as Watchmen, Dogberry and Verges), in turn changing the entire course of the piece; whilst at first the outcome seemed bleak after Don John had skilfully deceived the gullible Claudio into believing Hero had committed adultery but instead, becomes that of a happier, predictable ending in which Hero and Claudio, Beatrice and Benedick confess their love to one another and henceforth marry and live happily ever after. If not for the watchmen, Borachio and Comrade wouldn’t have been caught talking of that hateful deed in which had been committed but also, that of Dogberry and Verges to confront Leonato and tell the truth of the fair lady Hero and her innocence.…

    • 1328 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Deception In Much Ado About Nothing Analysis
    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Deception In Much Ado About Nothing Analysis

    Act 4, scene 1 is the wedding scene. In this, Claudio, Don John and Don Pedro cruelly 'expose' Hero. Only Benedick, Beatrice and Friar Francis believe in her innocence. Even Leonato, Hero's father, is convinced of her guilt. Friar Francis and the remaining characters devise another plan in which they would deceive people.…

    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Perception In The Taming Of The Shrew
    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Perception In The Taming Of The Shrew

    The Key of Perception The evolution of societal labels on each person and their roles in a family over centuries must be deciphered and understood. The Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare in the 1600s orchestrates marriages of Katherine and Bianca, the daughters of Baptista. Many believe that Katherine behaves similar to a shrew out of hate she has for the world while Bianca follows the modest customs of the time. Upon further examination, the reason for these differences reflect on how past events change their perspectives in life.…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    What Is The Theme Of Much Ado About Nothing Act 2
    • 2168 Words
    • 9 Pages

    What Is The Theme Of Much Ado About Nothing Act 2

    Awais Ahmad Shah Play Analysis BS Media 2C Zeeshan Haider 16 March, 2018 “Much Ado About Nothing” Act 2 Scene 3 Analyses In the following act, Shakespeare places Benedick all alone in the orchard by himself, despising the love of Claudio. He knew Claudio as a man who laughed when the subject of love was discussed around him, now suddenly is talking about his love for Hero and his feelings for her. He knew him as a warrior who would’ve walked miles for a piece of armor that met his requirement, and now he would rather stay up all night thinking of the design he wants on his doublet he would wear on the day of his wedding. Benedick knew Claudio as a man who spoke plain and to the point without any diversion is now a man who speaks in riddles.…

    • 2168 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Theme Of Love In Much Ado About Nothing
    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Theme Of Love In Much Ado About Nothing

    Beatrice’s family reputation has just been destroyed by Claudio rash and immature actions. All Beatrice wants to do is avenge her cousin, but she cannot do that because she is a woman. She admits her feelings to get Benedick to actually prove to her that this is love, by asking him to fight Claudio. Benedick is brave enough to admit his feelings to her and so is Beatrice along with asking him to “Kill Claudio”(4.1.285). Benedick in the ends up agreeing to challenge Claudio.…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Carmen's Love To Carmen
    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Carmen's Love To Carmen

    The opera starts in Seville, a city square by a cigarette factory where a young beautiful gypsy Carmen finds the love of her life. All of the Factory men would die for her however, Don jose the men that was paying no attention to her caught Carmen’s interest. To show him that she was interested in him she throws a flower at him so he can notice her. As the opera continues Don Jose falls deeply in love with Carmen although he got sent to prison and now is leaving to the military; he expresses his love to Carmen by using logic rather than emotion. On the other hand Carmen shows her affection by revealing her love to Don Jose by emotion.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Benedick And Beatrice In Much Ado About Nothing
    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Benedick And Beatrice In Much Ado About Nothing

    Birds of a feather flock together when it comes to romantic relationships. This is certainly true in reality just as much as it is true in literature. In William Shakepseare's Much Ado About Nothing, the relationship of Benedick and Beatrice proves that love is not blind because they are kind to each other, they are respectful to each other, and they accept each other's bad qualities. Benedick and Beatrice are kind to each other. They communicate with each other very often throughout the novel.…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    The Themes Of Love In The Courtship Of Benedick, And Nothing
    • 2794 Words
    • 12 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited

    The Themes Of Love In The Courtship Of Benedick, And Nothing

    He acts on the strength of his faith in Beatrice's loyal love. This expression of absolute trust highlights the contrast between Benedick's love and Claudio's. Claudio's feelings are clearly shown when Don John unfolds his tale of Hero's lack of sexual virtue. At the conclusion of which Claudio simply utters: May this be so? Claudio is willing to accept the word of the least trusted member of his acquaintance rather than believe in the virtuous nature of his betrothed lady.…

    • 2794 Words
    • 12 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    What Is The Theme Of Reputation In Much Ado About Nothing
    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages

    What Is The Theme Of Reputation In Much Ado About Nothing

    A young lamb hiding in the shadow of a lion, a predator in the game of war, and prey in the game of love, wages a new battle in foreign territory. William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a play in which its characters are defined by their respective reputations. On one hand, are Leonato and Don Pedro: the leaders of two politically powerful families, whose desires are of the utmost priority for those surrounding them. On the flipside, characters like Don Jon and Dogberry are not given respect due to their lack of wealth and wit among other traits. What instigates the plays points of conflict, and acts of deception, are how these characters deal with maintaining, or adjusting their reputations on an internal level.…

    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings